Little Rooster
by SwordSkill
Summary: FINAL CHAP up. Sano, by some misfortune (or is it?), changed into a little boy overnight. What will happen when Megumi, who knows nothing of his transformation, adopts him into her home? A little WaFF for the Little Rooster.
1. Default Chapter

**Author's Notes:** It's an old work I just dug up from my folders. Er, no, this isn't the serious, full-length Sano-Megumi sequel I promised a long time ago. Just a little one-shot thinggy idea I had from watching Detective Conan, but I'm thinking of splitting it into a couple of chapters.^^ I took a break from serious fics when I wrote this.^^;; I thought the story was pretty aimless, but I decided to post it anyway after months and months of neglect. Tell me how it fares, anyhow.^^

**Little Rooster**  
-SwordSkill  
  


"And stay out!" Megumi slammed the door of her clinic.

Sano glared back and mumbled, "Che. Foxes. Strange things. I knew they were crazy."

"No luck, eh, young man?" A short, bent man hobbled near Sano, leaning on a stick.

"Mind your business, oji," muttered Sano as he turned to leave.

"Hmm, this _is_ my business," replied the other, grinning toothily while he rubbed his bald head.

"Oh yeah?" Sano sniffed. "What's it, annoying people?" He shrugged then said, "Now buzz off."

The old man tsked noisily. "No manners, youth of today. Think just because they're big everyone has to bow to them."

"Stop following me, old man. You won't get anything from me. Spent all my change gambling last night."

"Ach, gambling. That's wimpy stuff," said the stranger, shaking his head. "Now, sake-drinking. _There's_ a man's game."

That caught Sano's attention. He whirled to face the old man and poke at his chest. "Oi, oi! I'm the champion in sake-drinking. No one can and will beat me, especially not you, old man!" 

A glint flashed in the old man's eye. "Oh really?" he said in such a matter-of-fact way that made the ex-gangster challenge, "Akabeko, seven o' clock, tonight!"

"Bring a stretcher with you, my young fellow," said the old man, smiling at the furious Sano.

***

"Baka oji," muttered Sano, glaring at his elderly opponent who sat opposite him. "I'll make your head ring so loud tomorrow morning, you'll be hearing your ancestors singing!"

The old man said nothing but smiled infuriatingly back.

"Hmf! Tae! Serve all the sake till one of us drops," yelled Sano.

He heard Tae groan, "Again? Someone rubbed your sake-drinking pride again? Tell me who's going to pay first! Your tab is as long as an arm ever since the bout you had last week!"

"I'll pay, Sekihara-san," said the old man gently.

Tae's head popped up and said, "_That's_ your opponent, Sano? Really, I thought you had more pride!"

"Be quiet and bring 'em on!"

When Tsubame fearfully laid six cups on the table, Sano grinned in his roostery way and cracked his knuckles. "Let's go, oji!" 

The old man picked a cup. "Let's go indeed."

_Two hours later..._

Sano groggily picked up a cup with trembling hands. What was this? The ninetieth? Hundredth? And there serenely sat the old man with nary a sign of letting up.

Sano gulped the liquid and his head rang. The old man quietly eyed him as he sipped his cup.

"I'm...I'm starting ta'...ta' pity yuh, old ma-man," slurred Sano, desperately trying to keep his eyelids up. "I say yuh qui-quit be...fore yuh c-c-collapse."

"Oh no, I'm quite fine, thank you." Through Sano's double and spotted vision, he saw his opponent took another cup and down it in a single swig, saying, "Another round please, Tsubame-san."

Dang! This guy was strong! But not strong enough. Sano determinately took another cup and put it on his lips.

He started to feel bloated as bile rose up on his throat. No! He was not gonna throw up! No way! Not while the old man was still up!

The old man watched him curiously. "Are you sure you can take another, young fellow? You look like you're about to drop."

Sano tried to say something but instead he stuffed his mouth with his hand. A retching sound was heard.

His opponent looked genuinely concerned. "I think you'd better call in a doctor," he said to Tsubame.

Sano's eyes widened. "N-n-not the fo-ox l-lady!" he gasped.

The old man lifted an eyebrow with his cup halfway to his mouth. "Very well, Sano-san," he said, putting down his cup. "I give up."

"N-nani! Yuh-yuh're p-pityin' me?" cried Sano, outraged.

"Frankly, my boy, there's no one here that isn't," The old man cast his eyes upon the audience watching Sano being beaten.

Sano let flow a string of abuse as he struggled to bring another cup to his mouth. No way that oji was going to make a fool of him! No way!

A crash echoed throughout the Akabeko as Sano dropped his cup on the floor and sank to the table, asleep.

  
  
  


_Tweet! Tweet-tweet!_

"Mmmph," Sano groaned, opening his eyes to a blinding shaft of sunlight that had seeped through his paper door. "Chikusho."

His head was pounding and his mouth had a strange, sour taste. He drew himself up his elbows. "What a hangover."

Then he remembered what had happened last night. Then who brought him here to his place? Probably that old man. Sano swore.

He stood up wobbily, and that's when he noticed that...he was short?

What the heck...!

His headband had dropped on his shoulders, looking three times bigger, and his bandage wrappings were loosely on his waist. His jacket looked like an entire blanket, and his trousers had dropped to his ankles.

"What the...what did that old man do to me?!" Sano yelled, realizing that his height seemed to have dropped to three feet. "And what's wrong with my voice?!"

His voice was squeaky like that of a young child. It reminded Sano of the time when he was a small boy. And his hair was short and fuzzy, like a...

"I'm...I'm a...I'm a KID!".

***

A few moments later, a short little boy emerged from Sano's apartment dressed in nothing but bandages wrapped all over him. His brown hair was in disarray, and his face was in complete disorientation.

_It was that oji_, thought Sanosuke angrily. _He did this to me!!! Now where did he go?!"_

He wandered along the streets aimlessly, praying no one would recognize him as he searched for the strange old man.

_He must have put something in my sake...but is this possible? He shrunk me into a...a six-year-old! That -_

And Little Sano said something too obscene for his age, causing an elderly couple to gasp in disapproval.

_Is this permanent? I can't stay like this forever! I've got a life to live!_

So deep was the little boy in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed he was on the street where lived...

"Oh, you poor thing! You're barely dressed!"

Sano stopped in his tracks and had the fright of his life. He knew that voice...

"Ki-kitsune!" he gasped, turning around in horror.

And it _was_ "Kitsune", frowning at him. She muttered, "I think a little epidemic called 'Sano-itis' has just inflicted all the children in this village. Oh, the country will be in ruins when I grow old!"

Sano growled inwardly. That girl really knew how to hurt a guy.

Then Megumi smiled at him. It was a real smile, a big one that spread over her oval face. It was genuine, not the cold, sarcastic ones she usually threw at him. She never smiled like that when they were together.

"Hello, little one," she said, sitting on her ankles to match his height. "What's your name?"

_She doesn't recognize me! Think fast, Sagara!_

"Souzo," said Sano squeakily, his old taichou's name popping into his head. "I'm, er, Katoh Souzo!"

"Hmm, Souzo, Sano's old master," said Megumi, rubbing her chin. "Funny coincidence you're named like him."

_She remembers who he is,_ thought Sano gratefully.

"Well, come on, let's get you dressed properly," said Megumi, standing up and offering her hand.

"Get...dressed?" repeated Sano a little stupidly, staring at the pale, white hand, not knowing what to do.

"Yes, I don't want you running around without wearing anything much," said Megumi, chuckling. "Come on, Souzo."

Sano blinked a few times and took the hand, clutching it with his chubby little fingers. Then he felt a sudden urge to cover a laugh.

_I'm holding Fox's hand! Hehe, if she only knew!_

Megumi led him into her clinic and lifted him up onto the emergency bed.

"Now stay here while I get you something decent to where, Little Rooster," she said, patting his short crop of hair.

_Rooster. Che. Is that all she ever thinks of me?_

He caught her staring at him. "What?" he blurted out.

Megumi laughed, "You look exactly like Sano when I call _him_ Rooster-head. Oh, that look is precious!" She laughed again before leaving.

Sano allowed himself a little chuckle. _Ah, that fox knows me well._

He went back to his thoughts. NOW what was he going to do? If he knew Megumi, she'd probably adopt him or something. She always had these motherly instincts to take care of people or things. Probably that's why she wanted to be a doctor.

"Here you go, Sou-chan," said Megumi, coming back with a little green robe in her hands.

_Sou-chan?_

She held up the robe. "I think this was left by some little patient. But don't worry, I've washed it so there are no germs left. Here."

She handed the robe and looked at him expectantly.

Sano finally got it. "I'm...I'm going to change here?" he said, reddening to the roots of his hair.

"Well, of course," said Megumi, looking amused. "I won't look, if that's what you're worried about."

_I'm sure you won't_, thought Sano wryly, inspecting his new clothes. _But still I'm a grown man...well, inside, anyway. And this isn't the time yet for you to see my beautiful bod whole yet. Not while I'm a little kid._

"Aa, Takani-sensei," said "Souzo" carefully, "can...can I change at the outhouse?"

Megumi lifted her eyebrows. "Now aren't we trying to be a big man?"

_I _ am _a big man_.

"But you can have a little privacy if you want to," said Megumi, smiling. "The outhouse is at the left of the clinic. By the way, how did you know my name?"

Sano shrugged casually. "You're famous, Takani-sensei. You're a good doctor."

Megumi smiled gently. "Thank you, Souzo-chan. You're a good boy." She bent down to squeeze his arm, making Sano's heartbeat go quicker.

He wondered.

***

"So where do you live, Sou-chan?" asked Megumi as she sat down beside him. "Would your parents be worrying now?"

"Um-mm," said Sano, shaking his head with childish playfulness. He was starting have fun playing a "kiddie" role. Besides, he needed some support for him to live. He wouldn't survive very long if he stayed in this age with no one to take care of him. For the meantime while he looked for the old man, he'd have to live with Megumi. Nothing malicious, of course, just business. He had thought of trying Kenshin and Jou-chan, but if the racoon and that Yahiko recognized him, there'd be two of _them_ to deal with. Megumi was the lesser of the two evils, at least.

"I don't know who Oto-san and Oka-san are," said Sano with great drama. "I live with my sisters and brothers, but they don't mind me very much."

Megumi's face softened, and Sano suddenly hated himself for lying to her. He scratched his head and said, "It's not so bad, Megumi-neechan." It felt strange calling her by her real name. When was the last time he called her that?

Megumi stroked his hair, and Sano wished she wouldn't do that. It made him felt warm and fuzzy and another strange feeling at the pit of his stomach.

"Would you like to stay here, Sou-chan, for the meantime?" said Megumi.

_Bingo._

"If you don't mind," said Sano, disgusted at his oozing politeness. It was embarrassing him more than he imagined, even though he knew Megumi thought it wasn't really him, Sagara Sanosuke. Just a matter of pride. But still, the concept was there. _He_ was asking her if he could live with her. He would never live it down if anyone knew. So here goes...

"Onegaiii?" pleaded Little Sano, falling into Megumi's arms.

_Kami-sama, what am I doing to her?!_

"You're a very nice person, Megu-neechan," he added.

_You really are, you know, even if I deny it a thousand times..._

Then with a touch of drama, "I'd really like to live with you, even if it's just for a short time!"

_I'll try to make it longer..._

Megumi didn't say anything when she drew him into a tight hug. Sano felt the heat rise to his neck. He desperately tried not to feel anything; this was _not_ the time to get romantic.

"Will ya?" he said, his voice muffled.

"Sure," said Megumi, releasing him, much to his relief. "Genzai-sensei and the girls are away. It'll be fun to have someone to look after. Sometimes it can get very lonely here."

_Really, Fox? You never told me that. Well, come to think of it, why should you?_

"I'll try to make it less lonely, Megu-neechan," said Sano sincerely, meaning it.

He then proceeded to tell her that he didn't have to tell his brothers or sisters about this, since there were so many of them they wouldn't notice that he was missing. Megumi wasn't satisfied, he had to get permission first from his older siblings before he could stay. Well, alright, Sano had said, and off he went the whole afternoon "getting permission" when he was actually wandering around town looking for the strange man that had shrunk him. It was in vain though, no one knew the old man that could best him in sake-drinking. Exhausted, he went back to Megumi in the evening, with her looking very worried. She scolded him, saying that he should tell her how long he would be away so she wouldn't work up into an anxiety. Sano couldn't help thinking how much she sounded like his own mother.

That night, Megumi decided that he could use the girls's bedroom while they were away. She tucked him into bed and pulled the covers to his chin. Doing so, she neared him in such away that they were staring at each other face-to-face.

_Not so close, Kitsune, or I might not be able to stop myself,_ thought Sano as he looked at her beautiful face. _Man, you're even prettier at night._

"Goodnight, Sou-chan," whispered Megumi, kissing him on the forehead.

_Oh, Kami._ He could smell her, he could feel her hair on his face. It was killing him.

"Megumi," he whispered quietly when she drew away.

"Sorry, did you say something?" asked Megumi, looking puzzled. Sano mentally kicked himself. This wasn't as easy as he thought, escaping the lures of the Fox Lady.

"Iye, nothing," he said, flashing a smile. "Oyasumi, Megu-neechan."

"Oyasumi, Sou-chan," returned Megumi, sliding the door as she left.

Sano sighed and turned on his backside. He'd have to watch himself.

**end of chapter 1**


	2. Chapter 2

**Little Rooster, Chapter 2**  
-SwordSkill  
  


"Hai, it'll be finished this afternoon...just come back for it at about five o'clock."

Little Sano woke up to the sound of Megumi saying goodbye to the patient in the next room. He yawned noisily and threw off the blanket.

Hm. This new body was certainly different. He didn't get as much cricks in the neck _and _ he felt much more refreshed.

He took off his night robe and donned the green robe Megumi had given him. Where did Megumi get all these robes his "size", anyway? She seemed to have a whole caboodle of them.

"Oh, Sou-chan, you're awake already," said Megumi, sliding the door open. "Come on and eat your breakfast before it gets cold."

_Mmm, bed and breakfast. This was good._

By the table, Megumi watched Sano scarf down the soup and the ramen. She was smiling as if she was thinking of a personal secret.

"What's it, Megu-neechan?" asked Sano, slurping down a noodle.

She chuckled and said, "You eating just reminded me of someone...oh, that's impossible."

"Ya mean Sagara Sanosuke?" Sano couldn't help himself.

The chuckle evaporated. "You know him?" said Megumi, her face registering surprise.

_Do I know him, baby? You'll see._

"He's a great fighter," said "Sou-chan" proudly. "He can beat up _anyone_."

"Except Kenshin," interrupted Megumi.

That _is so much like you, Fox, ruining my time of glory_.

"How do you know him anyway?" asked Megumi, fingering the end strands of her hair.

"Everyone talks about him," said Sou-chan, finishing his bowl.

Megumi rolled her eyes and laughed, "I'm sure."

"He's a great guy once you get to know him," insisted Sano. 

"I don't think I want to know him _that_ well. You've got yourself a strange role model."

_Hmphh. I resent that. But since we're talking about me already..._

"You don't like him, Megu-neechan?" asked Sano innocently.

Megumi snorted.

_Yes well, I suppose that's answer enough._

"But he's a good man, I guess," added Megumi.

_You guess?_

"And he's a scoundrel," she said, a smile dimpling her cheeks. "He just gets into my nerves too much to be nice."

_Hey, I can be nice._

"A good friend, but-" She paused and a faraway look entered her eyes. "But that's it."

There was a silence. It was broken by knocks on the door.

Megumi stood up and said, "That must be the patients I have for today. You can go out and play, Sou-chan, just don't wander too far, and be back by lunch."

Sano nodded.

_Yeah, Megumi. We're just friends. _

***

That afternoon, Sano made up his mind to spend all the time looking for the old man. He couldn't afford to spend another whole day with _her_; his will was starting to slip. She had never smiled this much at him, never had to take care of him, and now this! It was driving him crazy. 

But when she said that lunch that she had to work on mashing herbs for her next patient, Sano decided to stay with her. He knew how boring the long hours of preparing herbs were, and this was probably his only chance to show his appreciation to her care.

"Megu-neechan, can I help?" Little Sano's furry head popped out under the table where Megumi was setting up her leaves.

"Oh, you don't really have to, Sou-chan," said Megumi, pausing from her work. "Besides, I thought you were going out to play."

Sano stuck his thumb into his mouth, something he really used to do when he was a kid. "I really wanna help," he insisted. "It looks too boring for ya."

"Well, there's nothing to help, actually," said Megumi. "But you can stay here and keep me company. That's help enough."

"Ya sure?"

"For me, yes."

"Okay." Sano climbed atop the table.

"Off the table, young man."

"Aw, you're no fun." Sano jumped down.

A minute passed in silence except for the rhythmic beating of Megumi's pestle on the leaves. Then she gave a little smile and said, "You know, usually Sanosuke would pick this time to come have his hand checked or just to annoy me. Always in this time, when I'm spending a boring afternoon doing my herbs. He's always there trying to get into my nerves. Baka."

But she said this gently and almost pleasantly.

Then Sano tugged her sleeve.

"Megu-neechan?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Do you have a koibito?"

Megumi dropped the pestle. "Do I have a _what_?"

"A koibito," said Sano, his baby face registering nothing but innocence. "Ya know, a sweetheart."

Megumi picked up her pestle, her hand trembling. From her face, Sano didn't know if she was going to laugh or cry.

Fortunately, she laughed. "Really, Souzo, aren't you a bit too young for this kind of talk?"

Sano shook his head. "I promise I won't tell."

"Sou-chan dear...

"Honest." 

Megumi pursed her lips and stared intently at Sano. For a second, Sano thought that she had finally realized who he was. He was going to be _so_ dead.

"Sou-chan, are you having some sort of...love problem with a little girl in the village or something?"

_What?_

"Because boys your age are not interested in these kinds of things. Usually, you're supposed to be more interested in fighting or beating people up." She frowned. "Just like Sanosuke."

_Oh please. I'm not _that_ cheap._

"Naw, I just wanna know why no one has picked up such a nice gal like you," said Sano quickly.

Suddenly, he wished he hadn't said that. Megumi put down her pestle and stared at the bowl of leaves.

"Well, I'm...probably not the type men like," she said, her voice muffled. Then she stomped her pestle on the leaves a bit more furiously. 

_You don't know how wrong you are about yourself, Megumi. Many men will give their right arm just to have you. I should know._

Sano put his hand on her knee. "It's okay, Megu-neechan," he said quietly. "You're a very nice girl. And I bet someone likes you very much."

Megumi looked at him, her bright eyes shining. "Sou-chan, for a boy your age, you have some very interesting ideas."

_Oops._ Had he blown his cover?

Sano said with childlike stoutness, "Besides, I'm always here. When I grow up, I'm gonna marry ya."

_There, I've said it. She might not know it's me, but I've said it, and that has to count for something._

Megumi laughed, tears trickling down her cheeks. "Sou-chan, by the time you're old enough to marry, I'll be an old, old lady that no one wants."

_Why do you keep degrading yourself?_

"Like I said, I'll be there for ya, even if you're an old, old lady," replied Sano. "I know you'll still be as pretty to me."

Megumi heaved a breath and ruffled his head. "I appreciate that, Sou-chan. I really do."

_I mean it, Megumi._

Megumi went back to her herbs. "There _is_ a guy I may like," she said, her eyes wistful. Then this was replaced by a miffed look. "If he can stop chewing that fishbone. It's disgusting."

_That's a high price you're asking from me, Kitsune onna. I love my fishbones._

"Sou-chan, why are you smirking like that?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing."

Megumi gave her leaves a special mash. "Anyway, he doesn't like me."

_Oh? Have you tried asking?_

"Besides, if I ask him, he'll think I've totally lost it," continued Megumi, seeming to read Sano's mind.

_I suppose that's true._

"He thinks I'm a hoity-toity, proud little fox who's not worth his time, I guess," she said, slowing down her work. "So if he actually likes me, in which there is probably not an iota of possibility because he's always trying to be a constant pain in the neck for me...well, we're not exacly going anywhere."

Sano didn't answer.

"I don't even know why I'm telling you this," said Megumi, laughing. "But it's nice to tell it to someone, even if he doesn't know a thing I'm saying." Then Megumi threw him a queer look. "You _don't_ know what I'm talking about, _right_?"

Sano gave her his most innocent look. "Nope. Not a thing."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

_She likes me. She actually likes me. And I thought it was impossible._

Sano turned again in his bed.

_Yeah, we're really not going anywhere with all this denying and sort. Ah, but it's not easy to say it in Fox's face._

Sano got up and put on his daytime robe. He couldn't get much sleep with his recent conversation with Megumi keeping him company.

He quietly tiptoed to the door and went outside.

He really did like the fox. Sometimes even more. It scared him to think that he actually felt like that, so he tried quelling it by quarreling with Megumi.

Didn't work though. Just made him like her more, the way she backfires his jokes, threw stinging retorts, embarrassed him...

"Hey there, little fellow. What are you doing here outside at a time like this?"

Sano turned around towards the source of the voice. "You!"

"Yes, me." The strange, old man came from behind a tree. "You were looking for me?"

"I don't know what you did to me, old man," growled Sano, "but I have just three words for ya."

"Yes?"

"Change me back!"

"There is no need to shout and wake up the lady of the house, my good man," said the other, grinning. "Change you back into what?"

"What, are you baka? Change me back to...to..er..."

It was then Sano realized that his voice had deepened and that the robe seemed to have torn down by itself. He was lean and tall again, and in serious need of another set of clothes.

"What...hey, I'm back! Back to my glorious self!" Sano couldn't help rejoicing. He whirled around. "Hey, you, oji-"

But the old man was gone. And left on Sano's own feet was his clothes, complete with bandages and red bandanna.

***

Sano softly slid the paper door open. He entered Megumi's room and quietly bent over her sleeping figure.

"You've overdone yourself on this one, Megumi," he whispered. "I owe ya one."

Megumi stirred, shocking Sano. If she caught him here, right now, she'd...she'd...well, he couldn't imagine what Megumi would do to him.

But Megumi didn't even open her eyes. Then Sano smiled and pulled up the blanket that had fallen on her stomach to her shoulders.

He left, closing the door behind him.

The next day, he decided to pay Megumi a visit. She must be in hysterics now, finding her little "Sou-chan" missing. Besides, he felt an inexplicable need to see her.

Megumi was quietly sweeping the leaves at the front of the house with a broom. _Odd_, thought Sano. _She should be screaming by now._

"Kitsune!" he yelled.

"Go away, rooster head." Megumi didn't even bother to look at him.

"What's up, Fox?" He stood beside her as the leaves collected at their feet.

"What part of 'Go away' do you not know?" Megumi stopped sweeping and the kitsune look spread across her face.

"Uh, the middle part?" Sanosuke grinned.

"Un. You're impossible." Megumi turned away. Then she asked, "What are you doing here, rooster?"

Sano was surprised. She didn't seem to show any hint of concern of losing Souzo. He shrugged and answered, "Visitin'?"

"You're not the visiting type."

"Nah, but I thought the clinic was too quiet." Sano winked and lifted his index finger. "Missed ya, fox."

Megumi stared at him. "Sano, you're a fruitcake."

Sano shrugged again. Maybe he needed to refresh her memory. "Er, haven't you been harboring a little kid around here lst night? Where's the little fellow?"

"What are you talking about?" Megumi lifted an eyebrow. "I don't have time to play questions with you; my patients will be coming very soon."

Now Sano was confused. "But the boy...the guy that looked like me..."

Megumi looked at him as if he sprouted three heads. "What on earth makes you think a boy that looked like you came here overnight? I didn't have patients here last night."

"You'd be surprised to know how many things are in my brain." Sano felt a little panicky despite the smoothness of his voice as he answered the doctor.

"I'd be surprised to know if you had a brain at all, rooster," shot back Megumi, returning to her broom. "There was no boy here last night, and if he _did_ look like you, then he must've looked like a fright. Now let me finish my sweeping with no more interruptions. I'm busy here."

Sano couldn't say a word. Didn't he...just last night...what in the world...!!! He grabbed his hair in frustration, growling.

"Sano, you're acting stranger than normal," floated Megumi's voice amidst the _sweep-sweep_ of the broom.

_It probably was just a dream_. He let go of his hair, feeling disappointed. So Megumi hadn't taken care of him after all. "Okay, you know what?" he said in resignation. "Forget it. Forget I said anything. It probably didn't make sense, anyway."

"Things that you say hardly make any sense."

Sano winced. _Ouch. That hurt._

But just when he was about to leave, Megumi called, "Hey, rooster. Do you think by the time I'm an old lady, would I still look as pretty to you?" Then she stopped and gave Sano a piercing, meaningful look.

Sano dropped his jaw and his eyes widened.

"Well?" Megumi lifted both her eyebrows expectantly.

He hastily turned around in shock and forced his legs to move faster.

_She knew. That kitsune-onna knew all along!_ Sano mentally kicked himself. And he had fallen for the trap, just like that! How stupid could he have been! But who was that old man....? And why did it happen?

He scratched his head mournfully. A cup of sake was seriously in order. No, make that ten cups!

Megumi watched poor Sano quickly slouch away as she desperately tried not to laugh. He looked like he wanted to drown himself in the river. Well, it took him quite a while, but he finally got the message.

Megumi returned to her sweeping. Kami-sama sure had a funny sense of humor. She asked for a sign, and this was what she got. And she certainly hadn't expected anything _this_ extreme and unbelievable. At first she couldn't believe it, but after she finally put together the pieces of her conversation with Little Sano...well, gods were always full of surprises.

And who was she to complain?

She smiled, collected the last of the leaves, picked her broom, and finally went back to the clinic.

**owari**

**Post-Author's Notes:** Gag. I didn't know I could write so lousily. I'm so bad with endings. Other parts were pretty satisfactory (although still rather aimless), but the ending. Not good. Sheesh. Too much S/M fics. Everything just evaporates from my head. I'm not making sense no more. Maybe I should give fanfiction.net a break from me. //knocks self senseless with mallet// *_* 


End file.
